"Leonard Speaking"
'Leonard Thinking'
Leonard looked deeply into his own eyes, as he tied a maroon tie around his neck. His eyes ran over his reflection, trying to find any flaws he might have missed. Yesterday, he had proudly proclaimed that he would earn millions on the stock market, in front of a live court no less. His face bloomed with a relaxed smile, as he picked up his phone.
Walking towards the kitchen, he dialled Mike's number, "Good morning, Mike."
Mike, on the other hand, was rushing around his Manhattan apartment, looking for his shoes. Suddenly his phone rang, causing him to jump at the sudden sound. He quickly picked it up and absentmindedly answered the call, "Good morning Leonard. I have already asked Ellie to arrange everything on your list. She has informed me that she will send all the items you require on time. I have taken the liberty of arranging some people to assemble the trading station. Now, if there is nothing else, I need to find my shoes!"
Leonard laughed slightly, as a distant female voice came from Mike's side, "Did you check it near the dining table?"
Leonard teased, "Was that Sofia just now?"
Mike refused to answer, "I will see you at the courthouse in an hour. Bye Leonard."
Leonard, still smiling, shook his head, placing the phone in his pocket. Looking at his cane, he picked it up, since he had decided to go somewhere after the trial ended.
Taking a deep breath, he left his house.
Federal Courthouse
Leonard arrived at the Courthouse, smoothly parking his golden Jaguar in the parking lot nearby. He was waiting for Mike, when he spotted a Ford Ranger approaching him. It stopped right in front of him, as the windows lowered. Ellie Olsen, Leonard's secretary, popped her head out grinning at him. She greeted, "Good morning sir, I have brought all the items you listed."
Leonard looked at her, deadpan, before looking at the back of the pickup. His eyes scanned through everything rapidly, before he nodded. He turned to Ellie, "I must say, good work, Miss Olsen. Some of these things can only be found through the factories."
Ellie explained, "My grandmother used to work in advertising. I know a lot of suppliers."
Leonard nodded, "Mike is coming with a team to assemble everything. I am going inside, you should wait for him."
Ellie nodded, before adding, "Dr. Hofstadter, I hope the court rules in your favour. I don't want my first proper job to end so quickly."
Leonard smiled at Ellie, acknowledging her, before walking inside the courthouse. He quickly found his courtroom. As Mike and Louis entered the room, soft murmurs started about the large computer setup built in the courtroom. The Bailiff announced Judge Marx as he entered the courtroom. For a second, the judge was taken aback by the setup. He had never seen such a setup before. But he ignored his shock as the case resumed.
Mike stood up, addressing the courthouse, "Your honor, the prosecution has not been able to prove my client's connections within the industry, or present any shred of proper evidence that could convict my client. The accusation is based entirely on the premise that such great success could not have been achieved without any underhanded means."
Chuck stood up, "Objection your honor. It is true that the prosecution's evidence seems weak at the moment, dismissing it outright is against the democratic process. The defense claims Dr. Hofstadter's account may have been mislabeled. We still need to establish whether the trades themselves were authentic."
Mike retorted, "I thought our great nation operated on the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty'."
Judge Marx banged his gavel, "Order in the court." He looked at Mike severely and asked, "Is the defense ready to prove that the trades made by your client are replicable?"
Mike nodded, "Yes your honor, we are ready. We request Dr. Leonard Hofstadter to demonstrate his trades."
Leonard stood up and walked towards the trading setup he had arranged. Removing his coat, he hung it on the back of the chair and sat down with poise. The advanced system quickly booted up. In about five minutes, Leonard was ready.
Leonard spoke, "Your honor, to explain my trading process, we have to look at the big picture. I have added one million dollars to simulate my original account. Now, our day is quite short, so I would focus mostly on commodities."
Leonard quickly opened the commodities page, the screens filling with graphs. Leonard explained, " As you can see, the prices of certain items like sugar are quite low right now, but sugar doesn't move on charts, it moves on ships. Complex geopolitical issues are about to affect them as well. Sugar is mainly sourced from certain countries, chiefly Cuba. Now, if we…"
For the next hour, Leonard kept trading and explaining his logic. From geopolitics to geography, from supply and demand to buyer psychology, Leonard used everything to explain how prices fluctuate in international markets. The audience, the prosecutors and Judge Marx watched with fascination as Leonard carefully bought and sold commodities and futures, mitigating risk and maximizing profits with an ease unseen in anyone before.
Perhaps, Chuck was the one who received the biggest shock. Watching Leonard earn millions in hours without relying on any prior information made him realize something. Leonard did not see the world through tunnel vision; to him, the world was a wide tapestry with layers upon layers of weave that held surprises in every layer. Chuck was envious of such talent, but he also had a grudging respect for such vision.
After two hours, the demonstration ended, with Leonard earning about sixty million dollars from the futures and commodity markets. Judge Marx addressed the prosecutor, "Does the prosecution have any questions for the defendant?"
Chuck caught himself and announced, "Yes, your honor."
With that, Chuck approached Leonard and asked, "Quite a fascinating demonstration, Dr. Hofstadter. But why didn't you utilize this approach before? You would have earned far more when you invested in the futures market."
Leonard looked at Chuck and answered, "There were two reasons for that. First, trades like these have a ripple effect. These ripples can have negative impacts on many countries. Take silk for example, if I start buying silk from India in large quantities and don't buy silk from China at all, the silk industry in China will suffer massive losses. Through one trade, I affected the economy of two countries. Money should never be made, without considering other impacts."
Chuck asked, "And the other?"
Leonard smiled, "I didn't need so much money. As I said, I am a scientist, not a businessman."
Chuck took a step back, his skepticism giving way to slight admiration. He looked towards Judge Marx, "No further questions your honor."
Judge Marx leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled, eyes lingering on the screens that still displayed the final figures of Leonard's demonstration. The courtroom was silent, not from tension, but from something closer to awe.
He cleared his throat.
"This court has seen many cases involving alleged financial impropriety," Judge Marx said evenly. "Most rely on circumstantial evidence, inference, or intent. This case relied almost entirely on disbelief."
A few murmurs rippled through the gallery before the gavel came down sharply.
"Order."
Judge Marx continued, "The prosecution has failed to demonstrate insider trading, market manipulation, or any unlawful coordination. The defense has not only shown that the trades in question were authentic, but that they are reproducible through transparent methodology."
He looked directly at Leonard.
Judge Marx straightened. "Accordingly, all charges against Dr. Leonard Hofstadter are dismissed, with prejudice. This court is adjourned."
The gavel struck once, final and decisive.
For a brief moment, no one moved.
Then the courtroom erupted into low conversation as Leonard rose from his seat. Mike exhaled, the tension draining from his shoulders, while Louis offered a rare, satisfied nod.
Chuck remained standing where he was.
As Leonard passed him, Chuck spoke quietly, just loud enough to be heard.
"You played a dangerous game here. You succeeded, not because you broke the rules—"
Leonard paused, turning slightly.
"—but because you understand them better than most of us ever will," Chuck finished.
Leonard met his gaze, his expression calm, unreadable.
"I'll take that as a compliment," he said.
Chuck gave a thin smile. "You've earned it."
Leonard inclined his head once in acknowledgment, and continued on.
Outside, the courthouse doors closed behind him with a muted thud. Sunlight spilled across the steps, washing away the sterile hush of the courtroom. Leonard stretched out his arms, taking in the light as if it cleansed him of the much he had accumulated over the past few months.
Suddenly, he received a call, inviting him to lunch. With a smile, Leonard walked steadily to his car and drove away.
Scarpetta, Madison Avenue, New York
Leonard walked in the restaurant with steady steps and a cane in his hand. He looked around, before spotting a dark skinned man with glasses and a suit. With steady steps, he moved and sat against the man. Stan Edgar sat in front of Leonard, his face holding a tiny smile.
Stan started, "I believe congratulations are in order. Congratulations on winning that case. You safeguarded your reputation and Chaldea's future as well."
Leonard smiled, "Same here. I heard from Giselle that the culling went well. She even told me you shot old Hector yourself."
Stan grinned, "They had it coming, maniacs the lot of them. But, on the bright side, I am free now. I even got a great subordinate through this ordeal."
Leonard was interested, "Oh, who is it?"
Stan answered, "An old sicario named Alejandro Gillick. He was part of the Mexican side of the war against drug cartels. When Eladio was killed, I hired him as a protection detail. Now, he works for me, though he has asked for leave if he gets a mission to battle cartels."
Leonard spoke, "People like these are usually revenge-driven. But we will talk about it later. What did you want to talk to me about?"
Stan looked pensive, "What will you do about Axelrod?"
Leonard quickly called the waiter, ordering a lasagna and some garlic bread. He turned back to Stan and said, "I have already talked to Mr. Robot, in charge of our hacking team…"
Leonard carefully explained his plan of bringing down Axe Capital, from leaking client data to exposing moles, to emptying digital accounts. By the end, Stan looked impressed though unsatisfied. He said, "That is good, but not enough…"
Leonard looked confused, "What do you mean?"
Stan explained, "Money can be earned back. It will be a minor setback at most, not a message you are trying to send. Usually, I would threaten or kill family members and friends. If you can't stomach that, I can help you. Alejandro is not averse to killing anyone."
Leonard thought for a minute, his face pensive. He said, "I have a better way."
Stan nodded at seeing the steel in Leonard's eyes. He continued, "Beside Axelrod, we have another one to take care of."
Leonard was surprised, "Who are you talking about?"
Stan did not say anything. He took a book out of his bag and slid it towards Leonard. Leonard looked at the book, his eyes wide with surprise, before going cold yet resigned. He looked at Stan, "I will take care of it."
Stan smiled, "See that you do. Now, let's have lunch."
The waiter brought Leonard's lasagna. The two people kept eating and talking, discussing Chaldea's future in a restaurant. After all, this case was a turning point in Chaldea's history, bringing it to light for the first time.
The River Cafe, Brooklyn
Leonard sat in a chair, waiting for his guest. In about ten minutes, Bobby Axelrod, the Connecticut Finance Giant came into the restaurant, swaggering towards his seat. He looked at Leonard, smirking at his pensive expression. Leonard welcomed the man, offering him the seat in front of him.
Bobby started, "I must say, I was quite surprised by this sudden invitation. We haven't spoken since that dinner in LA."
Leonard nodded, "As you know, I have had my fair share of troubles. Some were my fault, some were a test from you, I suppose."
Bobby looked surprised, "A test from me? That is news to me. Why don't I remember causing you any trouble?"
Leonard did not speak right away. He called a waiter over, who brought him a bottle of white wine. With slow deliberate moments, he poured a glass for Bobby and another for himself. Swirling the wine slightly, he took a sip. Bobby slowly grew impatient, waiting for his answer.
Leonard placed the wine glass on the table and spoke, " I wasn't surprised when that insider trading accusation came. To be honest, I was somewhat expecting it. Ever since our talk, I knew that my words seemed to have hurt your ego. But the case itself was easy, almost too easy."
Bobby spoke, "Well, I am happy that you found your legal battle easy. Courts and judiciary are not something to be trifled with."
Leonard spoke with amusement, "There was a lot you could have done. After all, your mole did a great job flagging my account, but for some reason, he did not forge any evidence. If there was some forged evidence, my case files would not have passed review so clearly. So, why did you make it easy?"
Bobby smiled, taking a sip of wine, and said, "When we met before, I realized that we were quite alike. You are like a reflection. Do you know what really upset me during our last talk?"
Leonard spoke in a low voice, "My disdain?"
Bobby grinned with menace, "Exactly. Here you were, smart, observant, familiar with the patterns of the stock market. Yet your words carried disdain towards the market, no, towards money itself. From a very young age, I have made money my goal. Yet, in just one meeting, you trampled on my lifelong goal, like it was a useless piece of paper. To make matters worse, you made millions on the stock market."
Leonard muttered, "I am sorry if you felt that way."
Bobby grew annoyed, "So yes, what grated me the most was your disdain. What gave you the right to dismiss my achievements, my philosophy, as if it was some trash at the side of the road."
Leonard looked at him, "Then why go easy on me?"
Bobby grinned, "This case was both a warning and a test. I used my money to make your life slightly difficult, you used your money to solve that difficulty. If you were a competitor, I would go all out. Unfortunately, you are just an idealist."
Leonard gave a loud, full-bellied laugh, startling Bobby and the other patrons of the Cafe. The laugh slowly degenerated to giggles, before ending as a smile on Leonard's face. Bobby smiled before saying, "It is good that you are taking it so well…"
Leonard interrupted, "Oh, I am not. I am not taking this well at all. Do you know — before the trial, I was furious. I wanted to rip you apart. But as the trial went on, my anger cooled down. In fact, I am quite thankful."
Bobby smiled, "Looks like you learned a lesson."
Leonard looked straight into Bobby's eyes as he said, "I did. I learnt that people are greedy, egotistic, and ruthless. Idealism will get me started, but if I don't protect that idealism, it will only lead me to ruin. I learnt that I have to protect my idealism with ruthlessness.
Bobby mocked, "So… you are going to be ruthless in your revenge?"
Leonard grinned, "I was going to be, but as a sign of respect and a gesture of goodwill, I decided to tone it down a little."
Bobby looked interested, "So, when can I expect this revenge of yours."
Leonard sat back, taking a sip of his wine, before answering, "No time like the present. You told me that money is your life's ultimate goal; your ideal. So, I will give you three options that will test this ideal."
With a gesture to the waiter, the table was laid with a luxurious seafood feast. Leonard reached into his coat and withdrew a $100 bill. Folding the bill in half, Leonard said, "This is money, it represents all your material assets. I cannot take away everything, because a lot of it is in immovable property. But this is my first option for you. If you choose this bill, I will not touch a bit of your company."
Placing the folded bill on the table, Leonard reached in once again. Under Bobby's slightly unnerved gaze, Leonard pulled out a photograph, "This is family. While many people don't know this, Chaldea also has a private security team, consisting of many ex-soldiers; right now, some of these have everyone you love in their crosshairs. Your wife, your two kids, your second in command Wags, your soulmate and Chuck Rhoades's wife, Wendy, all of them."
Bobby shivered suddenly. While he wanted to deny it, something in Leonard's eyes told him that everything he said was true. After a small shiver of fear, all-consuming rage enveloped him. Never before had he received such a naked threat, to his loved ones no less. He stood up suddenly, his hand reaching to catch Leonard by his collar, but Leonard's hand shot out, catching his hand in a vice grip. With force, he was pulled down in his seat.
Leonard warned, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. After all, your family is still in the crosshairs."
Bobby snarled, "You think you can threaten me and get away with this. That too in a place this public. You are just a scientist. There are thousands like you. There is no one like me…"
Leonard smiled, "You should be more aware of your surroundings."
Bobby realized something, all the tables in the restaurant were empty. While Leonard called for his food and threatened him, everyone else was made to leave. Now, except for the waiter, the chef and kitchen staff, no one else was here. He was unnerved and looked at the waiter.
Leonard spoke, "Don't bother. He is a member of our security team as well."
Bobby slumped into his seat, looking at Leonard with impotent anger. Leonard calmly sat in his chair, sipping the last of his wine. He reached into his coat one final time, pulling out a newspaper cutting. Bobby looked at the piece of paper. It had an old photo of him, from one of the charitable galas he hosted.
Leonard spoke, "My last option is yourself. I will not kill you, but you may wish I had done that instead."
Bobby asked with desperation, "Why must you do this? Why make me choose?"
Leonard smiled softly and answered, "You must already know. I learnt it from you after all. As you said, I am just a scientist. But scientists are naive people. We are people who live in our own world. I did not earn money to live a life of luxury, I earned it to understand and research. I was well aware that scientists are exploited in this world, but what you did sullied my pure world. At first, I wanted to just destroy your company. It would have vented my anger and punished you. But my CEO suggested not to give you any reprieve."
Bobby cursed this mystery CEO under his breath. Leonard smiled, "Cut him some slack Bobby. He had to survive this world using that ruthlessness. For your lesson, I decided to be slightly generous. You can choose any of the three options. You get to keep that option, and I will take away the other two."
Bobby snarled, "You will never be able to take away Axe Capital. I have weathered many storms with that."
Leonard nodded, "True, but you had a lot of allies, both in your company and many other companies as well. Some of my people took the liberty of compiling a list for me. About four hundred moles in various companies, government bodies and the public service sector. They are your eyes and ears in the stock market. After tonight, you will be blind. This list will find itself in the hands of your competitors, government heads and your enemies. They will be fired, and once that happens, they will turn on you. Then there are your trading logs and plans. You shouldn't keep such information in your home computer."
Bobby retorted, "That will not be enough to kill Axe Capital. My company is more resilient than that."
Leonard smiled, "I don't need to kill Axe Capital, just bleed it enough for the other sharks in the market."
Bobby asked, "And what about the third option?"
Leonard smirked, "The brain is a fascinating organ. Everything a person senses or does is dictated by small electrical impulses. When you reroute them slightly, you can essentially change a person completely. You can make a gangster into a saint, a doctor into a serial killer. Just a minor change can bring major changes. What I will do is a minor thing, but it will have a major impact."
Bobby looked aghast, "You will lobotomise me?"
Leonard laughed, "Come on Bobby, this is the 21st century. No one lobotomises people nowadays. Things are far easier now. But this will happen later. Enjoy this meal, you can tell me your decision after that."
The meal happened quietly, every second moving at snail's pace. Bobby kept looking at Leonard, the magnificent feast arousing no joy in him. Every bite felt like torture, as if he was chewing wax instead of lobster. Leonard's calm and relaxed eating pace was eating at him. Finally, dinner was done. With a single gesture, a waiter came to the table, slowly clearing away the plates. Every plate brought Bobby to an ultimate end. As the table cleared, Bobby kept cycling between the choices, but he knew he had no choices.
Leonard wiped his hands, looking at Bobby intently. He asked, "So, Mr. Robert Axelrod, have you made your decision?"
Bobby looked as if he had swallowed a lemon, as he bit out, "Yes, I have."
Leonard seemed pleased, "Well, let's hear it then."
Bobby bit out, "I choose the family."
Leonard grinned, "That is a great choice, Mr. Axelrod. Money can be earned, but family, once gone, never comes back."
Leonard pulled out his phone and said, "Well, I am a man of my word. Let's resolve everything, one by one. First, your choice,"
Leonard dialled a number, the sound of ringing was quickly replaced by a gruff voice, "Yes Doctor, what should be done?"
Leonard answered, "Leave Axelrod's people alone. Come to The River Cafe."
The call was soon disconnected. Leonard looked at Bobby and said, "Now, for the company. I have made all the preparations. I just need to send the message. Anything else you want to ask?"
Bobby shook his head. Soon, his phone rang with various notifications and messages, but he did not rush to pick it. His eyes remained glued to Leonard's figure in front of him. Leonard smiled, though the smile carried a trace of pity.
Leonard said, "Now, for the third option, as I said, the brain is fascinating. So, I will take away some things from you. But I am not a monster. So, it will not be life threatening. But as I said, you will wish for death."
Leonard fiddled with his phone slightly. He asked Bobby, "What is the most important emotion you have? I believe it is joy. It keeps us motivated, helping us live our life. We derive joy from our senses, our expectations and even our struggles."
Leonard looked up at Bobby. His face turned into a soft smile, as he said, "Now, you will no longer feel that joy. Everything you used to enjoy, like earning money, luxurious lifestyle, food, intimacy, will no longer bring you anything. Life will slowly become tiresome. You might be cured on your own, but when, that is something I don't know. To be honest Bobby, I wish we could have been friends."
With that Leonard raised his phone. A small slot opened at the top and a small flash appeared. Leonard said, "Good bye Bobby, enjoy your feast."
With that, Leonard stood up from his table, picking his cane from the side. He calmly walked out of the front door. Now, Bobby sat in the empty restaurant, with a flavourful grilled fish in front of him. He took a bite. The dish was fragrant, with the fish cooked to perfection, the drizzle of sauce tantalising. There were hints of spice that elevated the dish to great heights. Yet, to Bobby, the dish could have been made of wax. The tantalising taste brought him no joy. He finished his meal, swallowing down the last of the fish with some water.
Outside the restaurant, he sat in his car, driving quickly towards his home. No sense of excitement came from the action. Finally, he stopped in front of a convenience store, bought a bottle of vodka and drove home.
Leonard's Warehouse
Leonard entered his warehouse, slowly walking to the stairs. The hovering platforms removed all his experiments aside as Leonard slowly undressed his formal clothes, dressing himself in cotton pajamas. Before sleeping, he called Mike.
Mike's groggy voice came from the other end, "Leonard! You should stop calling me at night."
Leonard smiled faintly before saying, "Mike, I want you to send a legal notice to someone. It is a defamation accusation."
Mike asked, "Who is it…"
Leonard answered, "Dr. Beverly Hofstadter."
AN: A heartfelt thank you to all my patrons, who have supported me on this writing journey. Thank you very much.
AN2: This is my longest chapter so far. I hope you like it. The arc will end after chapter 31. Stay tuned for more.
Support me on Patreon at patreon.com/SparksNFlames for advanced chapters